The importin-β binding domain of snurportin1 is responsible for the Ran- and energy-independent nuclear import of spliceosomal U snRNPs in vitro

The nuclear localization signal (NLS) of spliceosomal U snRNPs is composed of the U snRNA's 2,2,7-trimethyl-guanosine (m₃G)-cap and the Sm core domain. The m₃G-cap is specifically bound by snurportin1, which contains an NH₂-terminal importin-β binding (IBB) domain and a COOH-terminal m₃G-cap–binding region that bears no structural similarity to known import adaptors like importin-α (impα). Here, we show that recombinant snurportin1 and importin-β (impβ) are not only necessary, but also sufficient for U1 snRNP transport to the nuclei of digitonin-permeabilized HeLa cells. In contrast to impα–dependent import, single rounds of U1 snRNP import, mediated by the nuclear import receptor complex snurportin1–impβ, did not require Ran and energy. The same Ran- and energy-independent import was even observed for U5 snRNP, which has a molecular weight of more than one million. Interestingly, in the presence of impβ and a snurportin1 mutant containing an impα IBB domain (IBB_impα), nuclear U1 snRNP import was Ran dependent. Furthermore, β-galactosidase (βGal) containing a snurportin1 IBB domain, but not IBB_impα-βGal, was imported into the nucleus in a Ran-independent manner. Our results suggest that the nature of the IBB domain modulates the strength and/or site of interaction of impβ with nucleoporins of the nuclear pore complex, and thus whether or not Ran is required to dissociate these interactions.